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background info: This interview originally ran in UNDER THE VOLCANO #22. It's a piece that I'm particularly proud of and definitely the one interview that I've done over the years that I site as being the most important. My interview with Rozz was conducted on August 31, 1994. This posting is dedicated to the memory of Rozz Williams and everyone who was affected by his music and art.
In memory of Rozz Williams
November 6, 1963 - April 1, 1998
intro: From his early days with CHRISTIAN DEATH to Premature Ejaculation, SHADOW PROJECT and his latest ensemble, Rozz Williams has been able to explore a vast spectrum of musical styles while maintaining "cult" status. I myself being a huge fan can't even put into words how ecstatic I was over having an opportunity to speak with the beloved "Prince Of Goth." I found that underneath all the dark and misty imagery there is a polite, soft, spoken wonderful guy. Rozz's latest, with Daucus Karota, is entitled Shrine and it's on Triple X Records. - Groovy
photo cropped from CD sleeve to: Dream Home Heartache
Under The Volcano: Okay, so I guess we'll just start?
Rozz Williams: Okay...
UTV: What inspires a 15 year old to start a band like Christian Death?
Rozz Williams: [laughs] Boredom, probably. I don't know. Music was always my thing; since I was eight or nine years old, that was the thing that interested me the most, so I guess the interest in it, and also growing up. Where I was growing up was a pretty boring place so I had to think of something to do...
UTV: So, Los Angeles would pretty much be the...
Rozz Williams: Not Los Angeles proper, but, like, outskirts of Los Angeles.
UTV: How did you feel when you left Christian Death and the others has kept the band going as far as the name goes? Where you comfortable with that?
Rozz Williams: Ummm... No, not at first, because we had come to an agreement that, that would not happen, so at first I was pretty pissed off, but now I really don't care, you know? I've moved on to do my own thing. Whatever he is doing is up to him.
UTV: How would you say the musical projects you've gone on to do compare with each other? Like, is there a difference in the message or a difference in the sound?
Rozz Williams: Ummmm... I think that probably the message is pretty much the same through out, you know? My message I guess, most importantly, is that people keep their minds open, but as far as the sound... Yeah, the sounds are different. With Christian Death and Shadow Project, there are similarities, working with the different musicians and stuff, that's going to bring in it's own style, and then the more "industrial" things, like Premature Ejaculation, definitely are outside of the regular musician realm. But, as far as a message, just trying to have people keep their minds open. You know, THINK! It seems like a lot of people in the world today don't spend much time doing that.
UTV: And would you say that's somewhat of a specific goal that you had when you approached these projects?
Rozz Williams: I think when I first started, for myself, that's what I was doing for myself. It was a doorway for me to open up my own mind and experience things, and then through that, hopefully I'll encourage people to do the same.
UTV: That's great... I guess a lot of people are wondering if you have a, say, a public persona and a private persona? Or are they one in the same?
Rozz Williams: It's pretty much the same in that I feel that I'm myself, whether it is at home or whether I'm outdoors. There's also a bit of a difference when I'm performing; that's a chance for me to release a certain part of myself that I guess I normally kind of keep in check...But, for the most part, I'm the same person. You might find me lounging about at home in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt...
UTV: Yeah, that's what we're trying to get at, T-shirts and loungin' around...
Rozz Williams: I don't sit at home and wake up in the morning, put on make-up..unless I feel like it, you know, but it's not a daily thing.
UTV: How do you feel about the public's perception of you as "Prince Of Gothic Rock"?
Rozz Williams: [laughs] I don't know... I don't necessarily see where it comes from. I pretty much feel that people can think whatever they like, but I don't see it myself. I don't consider myself "gothic;" I don't live in some castle invaded with bats and..[laughs]...I think it all pretty much stems from a certain image that I was putting across for a while, but if that's how people want to perceive me, that's alright, as long as it doesn't become something that pigeon holes me and won't allow me to experiment with other things; that's when I become frustrated with it.
UTV: Would it be safe to say that your choice of covers pays homage to artists that you have a psychic affinity with?
Rozz Williams: Hmmmm.. Yeah, there's definitely an affinity. That was the music that inspired me when I was growing up. So yeah, it's just kind of, in a way, re-playing back some of my childhood...
UTV: This one's on the lighter side... Do you plan to emulate Bowie or Alice Cooper by working with Muppets?
Rozz Williams: [laughs] ..by working with Muppets?
UTV: Because they both have done their fair share.
Rozz Williams: Oh, um, I hope not. I hope I don't find myself in that position... [laughing,laughing]
UTV: Not much of a Jim Henson fan I take it?
Rozz Williams: Not much, and certainly not a fan of Labyrinth ...[laughs]... Terrible film.
UTV: What were the circumstances that lead up to Shadow Project's break up? Was it an actual break up,or just an agreement to stop?
Rozz Williams: It was pretty much Eva and I had just decided that we had really taken it to the point where there wasn't really that much more we wanted to do with it, and my ideas of what I wanted to be doing were changing in different directions. SO, we just decided that we've taken it as far as we feel we can, and now it's time to move on.
UTV: Right. Are the rumors true that she became a born again Christian?
Rozz Williams: Yeah.
UTV: Did that have anything to do with the break up, or was that part of the difference?
Rozz Williams: It definitely was an influence in the direction that she wanted to be going with her music and so forth, but I don't really think it had much of an effect on us deciding to move on.
UTV: One thing I was curious about is the song Nightstalker, which is about Richard Ramirez. Have you ever written to him?
Rozz Williams: I haven't personally, no, but Eva had written to him, yeah...
UTV: Was we she obsessed with him, or fascinated by him?
Rozz Williams: I don't know, you'd probably have to ask her that. They had a relationship of sorts for a while, I think. I don't really knew what drew her to him, but there have been certain people that have interested me...
UTV: Do you find serial killers fascinating?
Rozz Williams: I guess to an extent; I find it interesting. I guess I collect certain things and stuff. I don't know, like Jefferey Dahmer. I have written him, but unfortunately he hasn't written back. It's just kind of a sympathy thing with him, I kind of feel sorry for him [laughs]... he just kind of seems like he could use a friend, but who couldn't you know?
UTV: Have you ever come under fire by the Religious Right as far as your music?
Rozz Williams: Yeah to an extent. There have been protests outside of shows [laughs].. and I remember one television program where they were talking about music and so forth, and they had the Only Theatre Of Pain album on as an example of satanic music or whatever so... To some extent, but I guess I can understand where they would think that, but the thing is that they're wrong in their assumption. I'm certainly not a Satanist, and I just believe in looking at things from both sides, and if you're going to discuss God, then at some point you're going to have to discuss Satan as well, so I just think they haven't fully listened to what's there and have just taken it at face value.
UTV: How about the latest, Daucus Karota. Is there any significance behind the band name?
Rozz Williams: It was a character from a book that just really struck me and stuck with me for some time... the character had mandrake roots instead of feet, and every time he walked he would have to plant and uproot himself again, and I kind of liked the idea of that, as it's pretty much how I see myself in life. You know, it's like going into a project, taking it as far as I can, as far as I feel I should, and then moving on, so the name just kind of stuck in my head for that reason. But now, being the ever changing person that I am , that's already gone, and from now on I'm just going under Rozz Williams as a simpler form. A little less confusing for everybody I think.
UTV: Well I think the suit and tie might throw some people off in the photo...
Rozz Williams: Yeah, yeah.. But I don't believe in staying in one place of other people's expectations, you know? If that were the case now, I'd still be wearing a dress and white face, which is, like I said earlier, if the mood strikes me I have nothing against it, but to be expected to look a certain way or present a certain type of music I think is ridiculous assumption for anybody to make. To think that anyone could be limited in their perspective...
UTV: Is this going to be a side project, or is it going to be a full-time band?
Rozz Williams: No, I'm working on definitely making a full time thing of it, so we're working on getting tours now, and discussing going into the studio again to record. So yeah, it's definitely going to be an on going thing.
UTV: Have your bands always been a full time job? Like, have you ever had funny part time jobs on the side, trying to support the band?
Rozz Williams: Yeah, there's always been a few times I've had to do other things. I was a dishwasher for a while and I worked in a sex shop for a while, which was pretty interesting. Let's see...those are about the only two jobs I can remember actually having for any length of time. Oh yeah, and I was a telephone operator for a while, but that was very short lived. The sex shop job was probably the longest. It was only because I found it kind of interesting [laughs].
UTV: That's kind of funny, because I was looking into.. it was a video store more so than a sex shop ... but sometimes they pay well. You really can't knock the pay, and you get to meet the more interesting people..
Rozz Williams: [laughs] Some very interesting people; especially working the hours that I was working, from like midnight to seven in the morning. Like, when you'd have the really, really interesting people come in. That, plus the discounts...
UTV: Do your Christmas shopping, right?
Rozz Williams: Yeah
UTV: What is your horoscope sign, and how are you like that sign?
Rozz Williams: Scorpio... I don't know how I would say that I'm like that sign... I guess just that I can have a pretty deadly sting if I'm backed into a corner.
UTV: Do you feel that androgyny has a place in the gothic music scene specifically, though I know you don't want to be typecast as a goth
Rozz Williams: I think it has a place just about everywhere. I've never understood the idea that men are supposed to wear pants and women are supposed to wear skirts, and this whole thing is confusing to me. If society expects us to wear clothes, what difference does it make which clothes they are? If they just want us to be covered, does it matter which piece of cloth I choose to cover myself with? I don't know I guess it kind of has been prevalent in the gothic scene or whatever, but before that it was happening in the glitter rock scene in the 70s, and Bowie was doing all that. I think it's always got some place, because I think we all have to look, as I've said before, at both sides of things, and we both have male and feminine sides to ourselves, so there's no reason not to explore them.
UTV: Anything you'd like to state in the closing? What can we expect from Rozz in the future?
Rozz Williams: Expect the unexpected!!
Tragically Rozz Williams committed suicide on April 1, 1998
For More Info on Rozz and his work please visit:
